Sectional boat

ABSTRACT

A sectional boat comprised of two detachable sections secured together in longitudinal alignment by interlocking means in a fluid tight relation. Each section comprises a bottom wall, a front wall, a rear wall and tapered side walls to form a selfcontained buoyant unit. The side wall of each section are inclined outwardly at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the section in diverging relation from front to rear. The rear section is slightly larger than the front section and can be inverted over the front section in a nested relation to form an enclosed compact unit for convenient storage and transportation. Interlocking means in the form of bolts and nuts are employed to connect adjacent end walls of the sections together to form a boat of desired length.

United: States Patent (191 Donoughe Oct. 30, 1973 SECTIONAL BOAT Primary Examiner-Milton Buchler [76] lnventor: Clarence R. Donoughe, 1320 E. f" Rutledge Robinson St., North Tonawanda, Atmmey chnstel & Bean N.Y. 57 ABSTRACT [22] Filed: Oct. 1, 1971 Appl. No.: 185,784

A sectional boat comprised of two detachable sections secured together in longitudinal alignment by interlocking means in a fluid tight relation. Each section comprises a bottom wall, a front wall, a rear wall and tapered side walls to form a self-contained buoyant unit. The side wall of each section are inclined outwardly at anangle relative to the longitudinal axis of the section in diverging relation from front to rear. The rear section is slightly larger than the front section and can be invertedover the front section in a nested relation to form an enclosed compact unit for convenient storage and transportation. Interlocking means in the form of bolts and nuts are employed to connect adjacent end walls of the sections together to form a boat of desired length.

6 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures v PAIENTEDncI 30 I975 3.768.107 SHEET 10F 2 Qm m6 wk sum 2 0F 2 PATENIED 0m 30 I975 INVENTOR. 01679720? Donoz yze ATTORNEYS.

SECTIONAL BOAT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a sectional boat and,-more particularly, to a boat formed of a plurality of sections adapted to be interlocked for use and adapted when SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an improved sectional boat'which is simple and strong in construction, low in cost, durable in use, and which incorporates simple and inexpensive interlocking means.

Another object of this invention is to provide a sectional boat which can be easily assembled and readily dismantled for convenient storage and transportation- A further object of the present inventionisto provide a sectional boat comprises of two sectionswhich can be positioned in nesting interrelationship with one section inverted over theother to provide a cover for the compact package.

The foregoing and other objects, advantages and characterizing features of the present invention will become clearly apparent from the ensuing detailed description of an illustrative embodiment thereof, taken together with the accompanying drawing wherein like reference characters denote like parts throughout the various views. I

Brief Description of the Drawing FIG. 1 is a top'plan view .of a'sectional boat of the present invention shown in an assembled relation;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional'view'taken about on line 2-2 ofFlG. 1; J 1

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view showing the boat disassembled with one section invertedover 'the other,

FIG. 4 is an "enlarged transverse vertical sectional view taken about on line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken about on line 5-5 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional viewillustrating another form of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now in detail to the illustrative embodiment shown in the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a sectional boat, of the runabout type, generally designated 10, comprising a bow or front section 12 and a rear section 14. Although sections 12 and 14 can be formed of various materials as hereinafter explained, preferably the material of boat is wood. Boat 10 is formed of 'two sections but, if desired, can be formed of any number of sections with the additional sections interposed between front section 12 and rear section 14.

2 Front section 12 includes taperedside walls 16 extending longitudinally of section 12 in a diverging relation toward the rear of section 12. Side walls 16 are connected by a flat bottom wall 18, a transverse, upwardly tapered bow or front wall 20 having an upstanding vertical wall portion 22 at the forward end, and a transverse upstanding, rear wall 24 at the rear end. Rear wall 24 is provided with a wooden plank reinforcement 26 across its upper ends. The rear wall 24 terminating short of the upper surfaces of side walls 16 for a purpose hereinafter explained. Section 12 constitutes a self-contained buoyant unit capable of floating on water and can be used separately as a boat, if desired.

In order to provide stability and reinforcement for front section 12, a plurality of wood'and metal structural members forming a structural support and reinforcement assembly is provided in front section 12. Such assembly comprises a pair of generally horizontally extending side bars 28 extending lengthwise of section 12.and secured adjacent the corners of bottom wall 18 and side walls 16. Side bars 28 are connected at their ends to cross bars 30 extending transversely of section 12 adjacent the lower ends of front wall 20 and rear wall 24 and the junctures thereof with bottom wall 18. Also, upright bars 32 are provided at each corner formed between side walls 16, front wall 20 and rear wall 24and are connected at their lower ends to the intersection of side bars 28 and cross bars 30. A pair of longitudinally extending bars 34 spaced above side bars 28 are secured to side walls 16 and the upper edges of upright bars 32 and extend lengthwise of section 12. Bars 28, 30, 32 and 34 are formed of wood and are generally square in cross section.

A pair of metal angle m'enbers 36 are affixed to the upper surfaces of side bars 28 and are substantially coextensive therewith. Angle members 36 have upstanding ends 38 abutting against upright bars 32 adjacent rear wall 24 and are provided with openings aligned with openings in said upright bars 32 and said rear wall 24 for receiving bolts to secure section 12 to section 14. At least-two laterally spaced, longitudinally extending channel members 42,- disposed between side bars 28 and extending lengthwise of section 12 are secured to bottom-wall 18 as by fasteners. 44. The rear ends of channel members 42 have upstanding portions 46 provided with openings in registry with openingsjin cross bars 30 and rear wall '24 to receive bolts for securing section 12 to section 14.

A plurality of channel members 50 are-supported on channel members 42 and extend transversely thereof between side-bars 28,. Channel members 42 and 50 preferably are formed of metal. A pair of metal angle members54 are secured to the upper surfaces of bars 34 and are substantially coextensive therewith. The rear ends of angle members 54 are provided with upstanding ends56 having openings therein for receiving interlocking means as will hereinafter become apparent. A seat 58 in the form of a wooden plank is adapted to rest on the horizontal legs of anglemembers' 54, the opposite ends of seat 58 being tapered to conform to the tapering slope of side walls 16.

- Rear section 14 is constructed similarly to front section 12 andcomprises tapered sidewalls 60 extending longitudinally of section 14 in a diverging relation toward the rear of section 14. Side walls 60 are connected to a flat bottom wall 62, a transverse, generally vertical forward wall 64 and a transverse, generally vertical rearward wall 66. Forward wall 64 terminates inwardly of the upper edges of side walls 60 for a purpose which will hereinafter become apparent. Reinforcement members, in the form of wooden planks 68 are provided on the inner sides of walls 64 and 66 across their upper ends. Section 14 also constitutes a selfcontained buoyant unit and can be used alone as a boat, if desired.

A pair of longitudinal side bars 70 and a pair of transverse cross bars 72 forming a generally box-like structure are secured in the corners adjacent the marginal edges of bottom wall 62. Upright bars 74 are secured at each vertical corner of section 14. A pair of longitudinally extending side bars 76 spaced vertically above side bars 70 are secured to side walls 60 and the upper ends of upright bars 74 and extend lengthwise of section 14. Bars 70,72, 74 and 76 are formed of wood and are generally square in cross section.

A pair of metal angle members 80 are affixed to the upper surfaces of side bars 70 and are substantially coextensive therewith. Angle members 80 have upstanding ends 82 (FIG. abutting against upright bars 74 adjacent forward wall 64 and are provided with openings aligned with openings in said upright bars 74'and said forward wall 64 for receiving bolts to secure section 14 to section 12. In a construction similar to that of section 12, a plurality of longitudinally extending channel members 84 and transversely extending cross channel members 86, formed of metal, are connected together in a grid like frame assembly along bottom wall 62 to support and reinforce the framework of section 14. The forward ends of channels 84 have upstanding portions 86 provided with openings in registry with openings in cross bar 72 and forward wall 64 to receive bolts for securing section 14 to section 12. A pair of metal angle members 88 are secured to the upper surfaces of bars 76 and are substantially coextensive therewith, The forward ends of angle members 88 are provided with upstanding ends 90 having openings therein for receiving interlocking means as will hereinafter become apparent. A seat 92 having tapered opposite ends to conform to the slope of side walls 60 rests upon the 12 and 14 together, such interlocking means comprising bolts 94 extending through the aligned openings provided in the ends of angle members 36, channel members 42, cross bar 30 and rear end wall' 24 of section 12 and through the openings provided in forward end wall 64, cross bar 72, and the end portions of angle members 80 and channel members 84 of section 14. Likewise, bolts 94 are passed through the end portions of angle members 54 and 88. Nuts 96 are threaded onto the ends of bolts 94. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, resilient, yieldable washers 97,formed of rubber or any other synthetic elastomeric material, such as neoprene for example, are disposed about the lower bolts 94 between the exterior surfaces of abutting end walls 24 and 64 to form a fluid tight seal. With sections 12 and 14 assembled, a seat 98 having tapered opposite ends can be placed on adjacent ends of angle members 54 and 88 of sections 12 and 14, respectively, overlying the abutting end walls 24 and 64. Recesses are provided at the opposite ends of seat 98 for accommodating the upstanding ends of angle members 54 and 88 and the fastening means extending therethrough. The purpose for having end walls 24 and 64 terminate below the upper surfaces of side walls 16 and 40 is to accommodate seat 98 and to enable the same to be disposed in the same general horizontal plane of seats 58 and 92.

A significant feature of this invention is that the side walls of the assembled sectional boat 10 are tapered outwardly and rearwardly at an inclined angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the boat from bow to stem and the same angle of inclination is continued from section 12 to section 14. Thus, the outer wall surfaces of side walls 16 and form a substantially continuous, uninterrupted tapered surface with no interlocking members or other elements projecting outwardly therefrom. This feature is also important when fitting section 12 within section 14 in a nested relation since the side walls 16 will be equally spaced inwardly from side walls 60 the entire length of such walls. Thus, a very slight divergence or taper of the side walls of sectional boat 10 will permit tolerable clearance between the side walls of sections 12 and 14 to form a compact unit having a relatively large storage area defined by the space within the walls of front section 12.

Another important feature of this invention is that the larger, rear section 14 can be inverted and placed over section 12 to provide a cover therefor as shown in FIG. 3. Various articles, such as camping and sporting equipment, traveling gear, luggage etc., can be stored in section 12 with section 14 inverted and placed thereover to provide a compact unit protected against pre cipitation and other ambient elements and which can be easily transported in such a compact form on the roof of an automobile.

Although the material of which boat 10 if formed preferably is wood, it should be understood that other materials including lightweight metals and synthetic plastics can be used, such as aluminum, fiberglass, pressed impregnated paper bulb, plastic impregnated fabric or any other material having the requisite stability and structural strength. Should any of these materials be employed, the longitudinal and horizontal reinforcement bars, angle members, and channel members can be composedof the same material as the boat and formed integral. with the body of the sections. Also, with the use of these lightweight materials, a false. bottom such as shown at 18' in FIG. 6 can be provided for each section 12 and 14 to form buoyancy or flotation chambers to maintain the boat afloat in the event of leakage or if the boat should be swamped in heavy waters during a storm. The false bottom 18 can be struc- ,turally reinforced and spaced from the bottom of sec- 7 tions 12 and 14 by a suitable grid support structure similar to that used for the bottom walls 18 and 72 of sections 12 and 14. I

As hereinbefore mentioned, each section constitutes a self-contained buoyant unit and can be used alone as a boat. In such use, the openings provided for the interlocking means can be closed by a suitable filler.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that the objects of the present invention have been fully accomplished. As a result of this invention, an improved sectional boat of a simple and strong construction, comprises'of detachable sections, is provided for use as a boat of the runabout type when the sections are interlocked and which can be readily dismantled and nested with one section inverted over the other to provide a closed, compact unit having ample storage space and capable of being easily transported.

A preferred embodiment of this invention having been disclosed in detail, it it to be understood that this has been done by way of illustration only.

I claim:

l. A sectional boat comprising: a first section and a second section adapted to be connected together in longitudinal alignment to form a boat; each of said sections having a bottom wall, a front wall, a rear wall, and a pair of vertically straight side walls inclined outwardly at an angle relative to a longitudinal axis passing through the respective sections whereby said side walls form a pair of opposite, substantially continuous tapered side walls extending lengthwise of said boat in a diverging relation from front to rear thereof when said sections are connected together in longitudinal alignment; said second section being larger than said first section and invertable over said first section in a nested relation to close the open upper end of said first section and form a compact package for storage and transport; said second section side walls surrounding said first section side walls in said nested relation; means detachably connecting said second section front wall to said first section rear wall in an abutting, fluid tight relation to form a multiple section boat; and reinforcement means including a pair of vertically spaced reinforcement bars secured to each side wall of each section at the bottom thereof and adjacent the top thereof, respectively; a plurality of laterally spaced channel members extending lengthwise of each section and secured to the bottom wall thereof; and a vertically extending reinforcement bar secured to each corner formed at the first section rear wall and the second section front wall, respectively.

2. A sectional boat according to claim 1 wherein said connecting means comprises a plurality of bolts extending through aligned openings formed in said first section rear wall and said second section front wall; and sealing means interposed between said front and rear walls about at least those of said bolts located below the water line of said boat.

3. A sectional boat according to claim 1 including a removable seat extending transversely of said sections across and overlying said front and rear walls.

4. A sectional boat according to claim 1 including a -plurality of removable seats extending transversely ported on said side wall reinforcement bars. 

1. A sectional boat comprising: a first section and a second section adapted to be connected together in longitudinal alignment to form a boat; each of said sections having a bottom wall, a front wall, a rear wall, and a pair of vertically straight side walls inclined outwardly at an angle relative to a longitudinal axis passing through the respective sections whereby said side walls form a pair of opposite, substantially continuous tapered side walls extending lengthwise of said boat in a diverging relation from front to rear thereof when said sections are connected together in longitudinal alignment; said second section being larger than said first section and invertable over said first section in a nested relation to close the open upper end of said first section and form a compact package for storage and transport; said second section side walls surrounding said first section side walls in said nested relation; means detachably connecting said second section front wall to said first seCtion rear wall in an abutting, fluid tight relation to form a multiple section boat; and reinforcement means including a pair of vertically spaced reinforcement bars secured to each side wall of each section at the bottom thereof and adjacent the top thereof, respectively; a plurality of laterally spaced channel members extending lengthwise of each section and secured to the bottom wall thereof; and a vertically extending reinforcement bar secured to each corner formed at the first section rear wall and the second section front wall, respectively.
 2. A sectional boat according to claim 1 wherein said connecting means comprises a plurality of bolts extending through aligned openings formed in said first section rear wall and said second section front wall; and sealing means interposed between said front and rear walls about at least those of said bolts located below the water line of said boat.
 3. A sectional boat according to claim 1 including a removable seat extending transversely of said sections across and overlying said front and rear walls.
 4. A sectional boat according to claim 1 including a plurality of removable seats extending transversely across said sections and having opposite ends supported on said side wall reinforcement bars.
 5. A sectional boat according to claim 2 including a removable seat extending transversely of said sections across and overlying said front and rear walls.
 6. A sectional boat according to claim 2 including a plurality of removable seats extending transversely across said sections and having opposite ends supported on said side wall reinforcement bars. 